“FREE YET BOUND“

"Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God."

1 Peter 2:16

Today's verse should be an eye-opener to every believer. Peter's readers were dispersed from their homeland and received severe persecution for their identification with the Messiah. Many were threatened, punished, and jailed for pledging allegiance to the Lord Jesus. Peter wrote this letter to give them hope and tell them to live God-honouring lives despite being the subject of people’s indifference and ill-treatment.

In verses 13-15, the Apostle instructs his readers to submit to every human institution because it is God's will, including those who made life difficult for them. Emperor Nero did not withhold his distaste for Christians and made life unbearable for them.

Peter also charges them to do good, which will silence the ignorance of their persecutors. Despite being slandered and falsely accused of evil, they still are to remain Christ-like. Doing so was no walk in the park, given the real dangers believers had to face at the time. Christians were thought to be bearers of bad luck and misfortune. Because they championed love, humility, and freedom, believers were also believed to have disrupted social order, making them an easy target of persecution.

Can you imagine the weight of Peter's command to believers to subject themselves to a political leader such as Nero? It must’ve taken a great deal of humility to submit to such a tyrant. That said, the Apostle exhorted his readers to honour the office, even when the man who sat in it didn’t deserve it.

We are free in Christ yet bound to His Lordship. Our freedom comes with expectations. We are to use our liberty to demonstrate love for God and people, not overlay evil deeds. Sure, we are called to be God's children, but let's not forget that we are called to be His slaves, too. As such, we have the responsibility to obey His every command, even when it's hard. We submit ourselves to Him and do what He says because He’s our Lord.

Pursue the Saviour today!